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Just when you thought it was safe to tighten up your belt again, I present to you the caramel apple cake.

Now just try and tell me that doesn’t sound good.

The inspiration for this delicious creation was actually gleaned from my newly aged five year old, Alex. When asked what flavor of cake he wanted to have for his birthday, he promptly replied, “Apple”. I thought about it for a minute, taking into consideration the fact that it was something of a unique answer from what the typical child might request, and then decided that it was no challenge for this mom of three. If apple cake was what he wanted, then apple cake was what he would get. And boy did he ever get it.

If I had to make a list of my all time favorite chocolate bars, Toblerone would certainly sit towards the top of that list. I attribute my love of the triangular Swiss delights to those small white nougat pieces they hide within the chocolate. I relish the surprise of biting into an edible triangle and tasting the chewy little delights nestled amongst the smooth melty confection. So it seemed only natural that when I was thinking about which type of chocolate to use for the final act of fondue week, this bar pushed it’s way to the top of my list.

I want to iterate that I am not the creator of this fondue idea; I first saw it showcased in my all time favorite fondue book; Fondue by Rick Rodgers. As with most fondue recipes I’ve tried, there’s nothing too complicated about putting it together. You merely melt a few Toblerone bars with a little heavy cream and if you want to get fancy, you add a bit of your favorite liquor into the mix. But I’ll tell ya what, no matter how you decide to cook it up, you can be assured that the result will taste as though you’ve just been served up something reserved only for the best of the best. This stuff is good. Real good. My bet’s on the nougat pieces.

There are a lot of great recipes roaming around; on the internet, in cookbooks, and on the shelves of home cooks and chefs just like you and me. Recipes that fill you up, make you smile, and leave you satisfied until you’re ready for your next meal. But once in great while, you stumble upon a recipe that is so good (so very very good), it reminds you of why you were put on this planet to eat. With every bite, you close your eyes just so you can focus better on the flavors. You relish every tantalizing bite, and you may even make a small groan or a swoon as you eat it. You take your time, not wanting the experience to end and when it does, you look around for a second round, not caring if you’re too full to actually eat it.

We have all had these experiences. I remember an incredible creme brulee french toast I had the privilege of eating last summer when my family took a vacation up at The Tyler Place in Vermont. I put my lips to that french toast and just about got up and started to do a happy dance right there in the dining room. We’re going back there this coming summer. I told my husband it was for the vacation, but it’s really for the french toast. It was just that good. I haven’t had an experience like that since. Until I made this recipe that is.

I don’t know what I did, or how I figured it out, but these cookies are TO DIE FOR. They are so good that I’ve been eating one with my coffee/tea at breakfast, one after eating my lunch, and one (ok maybe two) as a dessert after dinner. I just can’t stop myself. They’re moist, they’re chewy, they’re orange flavor, they’re almond flavor, they’re sweet. They’re sheer and utter heaven in a carb form. But don’t take my word for it. Cook a batch up and see for yourself.
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Raise your hand if you love chocolate. Now raise your hand if you love pretzels. How about toffee? Ok, now that we’ve done our arm exercises for the day, put your hands down and prepare to indulge in a flavorful, finger-licking, frosting enveloped treat. I introduce to you; the pretzel toffee crusted chocolate cake.

Not for the faint of heart, this cake is moist and chocolaty inside with a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting on the outside made better only by the addition of a smathering of pretzel toffee dust, sprinkled generously over the inside and outside layers of the cake. The toffee and pretzels add a surprising and unexpected crunch to the cake that will leave you craving a second piece almost immediately after finishing the first. If you don’t believe me, just ask my husband. He’s a chocoholic and can’t seem to keep his mits away. Is that a second piece I see on his plate? Guilty as charged.
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I’m shaking things up a bit today and heading over to Maranda’s blog, Jolts and Jollies, for a guest post. Maranda is one of those rare people that, when you meet her, you know you’ve found someone special. She and I stumbled across one another’s blogs a few months back. Aside from the fact that each recipe she posts is more mouthwatering than the next (I’m still drooling over that King Ranch Chicken “esque” recipe she posted a month or so back), her writing brings across a kindness that welcomes you in and makes you want to get to know her better. And once you do, you instantly know you’ve found a friend for life.
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New Year Eve. Can you believe it? I feel like the holidays blew by in a flash this year! It’s been a whirlwind of fun, but I’ll admit that I’m ready to get back to a bit of normalcy. With my blogoversary coming up in just a little over a month, I’ve been thinking about different ways to spruce up this little corner of the internet over the upcoming year and I’ve come up with some fun ideas that should hopefully be a hit with everyone. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming weeks!

Moving on to the star of the show; honey sweet corn bread. Get ready. I’ve been working on perfecting this bread for awhile now and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed in the results. It’s moist, it’s flavorful, and it’s a perfect accompaniment to your cooked up batch of slow cooker chili. To whip up a batch of this tasty quick bread treat, you’ll need to head over to your pantry and scrounge up the following cast of characters:
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